Keith Olbermann on FISA earlier this year…he was against it before he was for it!

On January 31 of this year, Keith Olbermann donned his most serious face and most indignant voice tone to rail against George Bush for supporting telecom immunity and revisions to FISA. In a 10-minute “Special Comment,” the MSNBC star condemned Bush for wanting to “retroactively immunize corporate criminals,” and said that telecom immnity is “an ex post facto law, which would clear the phone giants from responsibility for their systematic, aggressive and blatant collaboration with [Bush’s] illegal and unjustified spying on Americans under this flimsy guise of looking for any terrorists who are stupid enough to make a collect call or send a mass email.”

Olbermann added that telecom amnesty was a “shameless, breathless, literally textbook example of Fascism — the merged efforts of government and corporations that answer to no government.”

And, when confronted with Obama’s acceptance of FISA, Olberman reveals his true colors:

Last night, Olbermann invited Newsweek‘s Jonathan Alter onto his show to discuss Obama’s support for the FISA and telecom amnesty bill (video of the segment is here). There wasn’t a syllable uttered about “immunizing corporate criminals” or “textbook examples of Fascism” or the Third Reich. There wasn’t a word of rational criticism of the bill either. Instead, the two media stars jointly hailed Obama’s bravery and strength — as evidenced by his “standing up to the left” in order to support this important centrist FISA compromise:

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Now this is too funny!!!

Will the lefties keep on drinking the Obama Koolaid as Olberman has done?

“The FISA legislation passed by the House today strikes the important balance between protecting ournation from new and evolving terrorist threats, while also safeguarding our civil liberties. I am glad thatafter working for nearly a year on this legislation, Democrats and Republicans came together to achieve apositive, long term solution.

“This legislation improves the civil liberties protections in the original FISA by specifying that individualwarrants are required to conduct surveillance on Americans residing inside or outside of the UnitedStates, and outlaws the practice of reverse-targeting. It also affirms that FISA is the only means availableto the U.S. government to conduct surveillance.

“The bill we passed today does not provide retroactive blanket immunity for warrantless wiretapping.Instead, it requires any telecommunications company that provided information to the Department ofJustice following the attacks of September 11th to prove in Federal court that this information wasdemanded by Federal agencies and that the Department of Justice provided written assurance that itsactions were legal.

“Courts will not have the discretion to provide any immunity for government officials who have violatedthe law. This requirement will ensure that the truth will finally come out in open court, and that anygovernment official who broke the law will be held fully accountable.”

Red State is reporting that a compromise has been reached on Telecom Immunity:

If the companies can show a federal district court judge “substantial evidence” they received a written request from the attorney general or head of an intelligence agency stating the president authorized the surveillance and determined it to be lawful, the cases against them will be dismissed.

27 May 2008 Shortly after takeoff yesterday morning, the pilot of Continental Flight 1544 reported seeing a rapidly moving object with a thick smoke trail closing in on his aircraft and shooting past his cockpit window. According to some of the crew and passengers aboard Flight 1544 traveling from Houston to Cleveland, it appeared like some kind of missile was headed toward the aircraft. The plane was at an altitude of 5,000 feet and 11 miles east of Bush International Aircraft when the pilot radioed the control tower to report the sighting. The object was described as “missile-like with a thick contraii,” and traveling at a high rate of speed.

Responding to mounting pressures from within his own party to change his position on proposed additional immunity for telecommunications companies, 11th District Republican Congressional Candidate Carl Mumpower proclaimed, “I am not for sale,” in a Good Friday press release.

“Voters who want someone willing to abandon his principles to artificially support the Republican party need to look elsewhere,” said Mumpower. “I am an authentic conservative – I’m not a party hack willing to fall into the line when I’m told to – especially considering how often my party has betrayed its core values in recent years.”

“The additional retroactive immunity provisions found in FISA are a con job,” said Mumpower. “Yet, normally ‘right-thinking’ Republicans are sadly just falling ‘right-into-line’ and in the process, sacrificing their integrity, liberty, and the Constitution for fear-based arguments and the good graces of party leaders.”

“This is one of the reasons I will accept only personal campaign contributions and none from unions, PACs, business groups, or even the Republican National Congressional Committee,” said Mumpower. “I will serve independently, from a principled position that it is clear and up-front or I will not serve at all. I will not be beholden to special interests or the Republican party structure. I am not for sale.”

A Monday press release by Republican Congressional Carl Mumpower has stimulated strong reactions from 11th District challengers John Armor and Spence Campbell. “I am not in favor of the immunity found in recent FISA legislation for telecoms or anyone else and I continue to believe that the pervasive bureaucratic dysfunction of America’s intelligence agencies offers few incentives for more hidden powers,” said Mumpower. “Securing our borders, enforcing existing laws, and both financial and productivity audits of our intelligence agencies will do more than allowing the government to expand its veil of secrecy.”

Campbell and Armor share a common ground with a majority of Republican legislators, the President, and even 11th District Representative Heath Shuler. Shuler has come out in support of immunity to telecom companies and made a request of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that future FISA legislation support that goal. Campbell has said that Congress should grant the telecoms immunity, while Armor stated, “I could not disagree with (Mumpower) more – this is garbage.”

“As an Independent Republican, I support conservative principles with full heart and action,” said Mumpower. “I am not, however, obligated to a Republican power structure that continues to betray those values and take short-cuts around the Constitution with actions like this. The rule of law, accountability, and liberty should not be for sale – especially to people who are quick to use the “terror card” to justify or conceal misbehavior.”

“I am fond of Ben Franklin,” said Mumpower. “He said that “Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” I’m sure it could be argued that there are practical justifications for immunity – one can always find a reason to take small steps away from the right thing. This is one of those times when a politician faces the temptation to fall into line with what’s popular or take a principled position and the heat that results. I’ll leave political conformity to others – and keep my eye on the Constitution.”

Hendersonville—US Republican Congressional Candidate Spence Campbell released the following statement on the FISA Reauthorization bill:“As a former career U.S. Army intelligence officer, I know firsthand how important it is that we have solid, reliable intelligence in order to protect this great country and its citizens from harm. We must do all we can to ensure the safety of Americans and the citizens of western North Carolina.“We must not forget that we are a nation at war. There are people who actively seek to harm America, and we must ensure that our government has the tools and resources needed to ensure the safety of us all. “It is the height of irresponsibility for anyone to seek to undermine or try to prevent our government from doing all it can to protect its citizens, especially in a time of war. By criticizing portions of this bill, which allows companies to work together with our government to provide them with critical information and intelligence, is more than irresponsible. It is in fact, foolhardy, and dangerous. Anyone that seeks to put Americans in harm’s way should not be allowed the privilege of representing the citizens of western North Carolina in Congress.”

Carl Mumpower, Republican candidate for Congress from the 11th District, has put out a press release saying that the efforts in the US House to extend the FISA Act “demonstrate sharp differences between him and the other candidates.” He is right, but has the wrong conclusion, based on a gross misunderstanding of the subject.

FISA stands for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The ACLU (the American Civil Liberties Union) is using American civil courts in an effort to gut-shoot the government’s efforts to stay ahead of the terrorists seeking to kill Americans in America. It seems that Carl Mumpower has not done his homework before taking a position on this subject.

The quote that Carl Mumpower uses in the name of Benjamin Franklin in his latest News Release is a false quote, although with an ancient pedigree. Mumpower quotes Franklin as writing: “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” This comes from the title page of An Historical Review of the Constitution and Government of Pennsylvania (1759).

However, anyone with a little skill in using an Internet search engine, like Google, can quickly find that the accurate Franklin quote is: “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.” It is both better written, and has a different meaning, than the bad quote used by candidate Mumpower.

“More importantly, Carl Mumpower seems blissfully unaware of what brought about the immunity provisions in the original FISA Act,” said John Armor. He pointed out that lawyers for the ACLU had filed several damage claims against several telecom companies, seeking damages for their cooperation with international security searches as sought by the federal government.

Commentary

I am afraid that Mumpower has chosen the wrong side of this issue. My impression of the whole FISA argument is that the attempt to deny immunity to the telecoms is part of a lawfare technique used by the enemies of America to weaken, and ultimately destroy her ability to defend against attacks from Islamofascism and Progessivism.

I lump Progressives together with the Islamofascists because both would rather that America not participate in World War IV. They have become allies of convenience at this point.

In a different category, I place “the honest civil-libertarians”: Mumpower, through good intentions (like the libertarians), has found himself trapped by applying a misunderstanding of the issue.

Both Spence Campbell and John Armor understand the necessity of immunity for the telecoms.

The Peace Movement is many things, but it has never been about peace.As many of us suspected, the Domestic Terrorist who bombed the Marine Recruiting Station in Times Square was NOT an al-Qaeda-type.Before the attack, letters and photos were mailed to at least 8 Democrats in the US House of Representatives. The photos were of the Marine Recruiting Station.

Hat Tip: Sister ToldjahThe bomb itself was a crude device in a surplus ammo box, and surveillance cameras captured the scene, and a suspect on video:

So, it appears that the increasingly violent anti-war movement may be about to cross a line that they can not turn back from once crossed…they will have gone from psychological violence and psychological terrorism to physical violence and terrorism proper, just like in the 60’s and 70’s.

The New York City police just issued a statement describing the source of the explosion as an “improvised explosive device” and putting the time of the blast at 3:43 a.m. Subways and traffic are running normally through Times Square.

9.52am Atlas Shrugs has commentary, and some links, noting that the unhinged left is saying it was righties to gin up hate for the lefties. Riiight! if all else fails, play the victim card.

9.51amCityroom Blog again: The police have attributed the blast to an improvised explosive device, and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said the device had been placed in an ammunition box like the kind that can be bought at a military supply store. Mr. Kelly spoke with Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg at a news conference at 9:30 a.m. in Times Square. The authorities are looking into a possible connection to two earlier bombings at foreign consulates in Manhattan, in 2005 and 2007. Officials said that in today’s attack, a man in a gray hooded sweatshirt was seen leaving the scene on a bicycle. Subways and traffic are running normally through Times Square.